Nothing Tastes Sweeter
by polarhamster10
Summary: Anna is your typical high school student: hates her teachers, loves her friends, and adores chocolate. Well, almost. Anna would never have guessed that her 18th birthday would be the day her life would be flipped upside down. An AU fanfic, Elsanna, Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, I'm writing a Frozen fanfic (dear Freyja help me) and delve into the Elsanna fandom I have wandered around for ages. Even though it's an AU and Elsa and Anna are not related in this fic, I know people still flame and complain so if you don't like it, just don't read it. This is rated M for future chapters and I hope you enjoy!**

**I don't own Frozen. **

**This chapter is dedicated to MikuxLuka401 for all your support and best wishes on this special day.**

Nothing tasted sweeter than the taste of chocolate birthday cake.

"Here. I got you a present." The shy yet popular Kristoff Bjorgman tossed a bundle, loosely wrapped in newspaper comics, into the arms of an unsuspecting redhead. The blonde muttered a quick "I hope you like it," before walking the other way.

"He totally likes you Anna!" a squeal from Rapunzel cut through the silence. The redhead turned to her older cousin, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"He just got me a present Zel; there's nothing more to it than that." The elder rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Look, you're just in denial because you know you like him too," Rapunzel playfully poked Anna's arm. "Well it doesn't matter anyway because I got you an even better birthday present!"

"Do I even want to know?"

"Yes! But I won't tell you," Rapunzel waved her finger back and forth. "That would ruin the surprise!" Sighing, Anna stuck the present in her locker and turned to the bustling crowded hallway.

"Why did my birthday have to land on a school day?" Anna booed.

"Chin up cuz! You just have to get through one more period and then you can go home and party it up!" She eagerly hopped from one foot to another. Anna warily looked at her.

"Man, I wish I had your energy. I have no idea how I'm going to survive Ms. Arendelle's class." Anna shook her head and sighed. "I don't know how Kristoff can stand her. She's such a harsh teacher." Rapunzel nodded in agreement.

"Just don't do anything to piss Her Majesty and you'll be okay." Rapunzel patted Anna's back heartily. "Ya don't wanna land a detention with the Ice Queen on your birthday." Anna grunted in agreement.

"Honestly, I have no idea how people can stand her. The only one who seems to tolerate her is Kristoff and how he does it, only the gods know." The bell rang causing the girls to jump.

"Shit! I gotta go! Bye Zel!" Anna waved while dashing down the hall. The elder chuckled to herself, gave a short wave, and turned to head to her own class.

"I'm late!" Anna shouted, tumbling through the door. Ms. Arendelle, who was standing at the front of the room, turned to shoot a glare at the disheveled girl.

"So I am aware," her voice was sharp and brisk like a cold winter's eve. Her eyes hardened while they skimmed over the girl before the harsh crinkles in face softening. "Word is that today is your birthday." Anna nodded hurriedly. "However that gives you no excuse to be late to my class. Now go sit in your seat before I give you detention!" Anna yelped and hurried to her seat like a puppy that had just been shocked. Ms. Arendelle proceeded to turn back to the class, returning to her lecture on key signatures. Plopping in her seat, Anna began to jot down notes, remembering to glare at her teacher every time she looked up at the board.

The forty-two minutes that was her music theory class seemed to drag on for hours. Anna nearly cried when the bell rang, allowing her release.

"Now don't forget to finish these worksheets for tomorrow! I want to see them on my desk as soon as you walk into class!" Ms. Arendelle's voice rose above the clatter of chairs and rustling of papers. The redhead merely shrugged her off and made a mad dash to her locker, but not before noticing a certain blonder-haired boy approach her much-hated teacher.

"Home Sweet Home!" Anna whooped as she skipped down the hallway. Her peers let out a laugh or rolled their eyes. This was more like typical Anna.

The energetic girl managed to slow down for her cousin, who was gathering the last of her belongings for the trip home. Rapunzel smiled warmly while her eyes shone with joy. She was genuinely happy to see Anna perk up a bit and was just as happy to drive her home for her.

"I see you're ready to go and celebrate?" she asked. Anna nodded eagerly, hopping from foot to foot. The smile on Rapunzel's face grew even wider as she shouldered her backpack and nodded her head. "Well let's go then!"

The drive home felt almost as long as Anna's last period class but the wait was worth it. Pulling into the driveway, Anna could see through the window the image of her family members bustling inside the house. Upon opening the front door, people beamed at the birthday girl and moved to greet her. Out of the corner of her eye, Anna noticed the desert table and gulped in anticipation. There was chocolate fondue, chocolate cake, chocolate covered strawberries, and even chocolate covered chocolate. Anna felt like she might cry; it was glorious. Looking around at the massive party in front of her, Anna could see her friends and family mingling peacefully. Sighing, she relaxed. That is, until that familiar blonde hair poked out through the crowd. Rising to her feet, she dashed over to him, careful not to knock anyone over.

"Kristoff!" she called out. The boy lifted his head towards the sound of the voice, scanning the crowd to find the source. "Kristoff!" she called again and this time their eyes met. He smiled shyly and approached the girl, moving through the crowd with far more grace than the eager girl.

"Hey," she said when they finally come within a close enough vicinity to hold a conversation without having to yell over the noise.

"Hey," he grinned softly. "Happy Birthday, Anna." The girl blushed and he shifted awkwardly.

"Thanks… I didn't know you were going to be here! I mean, not that I didn't want you here but that I didn't think you were going to ever be at one of my parties! Not that I expect you to come but just thought that it'd be nice since we never really-" A finger at her lips silenced her. The boy looked down at her with soft, gentle eyes.

"It's an honor to be here. Might I get you a drink?" he gestured to the table filled with beverages and snacks. Anna could only nod as he poured two cups to the top with punch. Taking the cup in her hand, Anna thanked him.

"I showed up a little bit late because I had to stay after school to help my aunt out. I came here right over here afterwards. "

"Wait, who's your aunt? Is she here?" Anna questioned while scanning the crowd for a lady resembling the boy in front of her. He chuckled.

"I don't think you'd want her here considering how vocal you are about hating her class."

"Who is she…" Anna trailed off before gasping. "No!… Tell me she's not-"  
"Ms. Arendelle? Yes, that would my aunt. Lovely lady once you get to know her. She's my mother's sister but my aunt's the youngest between the two girls." Kristoff smiled before shaking his head, hair flipping lightly from the action. His face colored slightly and he finished his train of thought. "She's not here because she has some other job. Not sure what it is but I'm sure she'd send her regrets. Practically half the town seems to be here." It was Anna's turn to shuffle awkwardly, feeling slightly embarrassed. Kristoff offered a small smile.

"Hey Anna. I was thinking… Maybe you'd like to go with me to-"

"And now may we have the birthday girl to the front please! Calling the birthday girl to the front!" A loud boomed cut off his speech and Anna's head snapped to the front where her father stood on a little pedestal at the front of the room. "I've got an announcement to make! Don't make me wait or I'll take back my birthday gift to you and trust me, you don't want that to happen!" A couple people chuckled; Rapunzel's giggling could be heard over them all. Anna shot Kristoff a look of apology and he answered by nodding in understanding.

"Ah there you are!" her father boomed as Anna made her way to the front. "I'd like to first thank everyone here for being here tonight for my daughter's 18th birthday. It has been wonderful watching her grow as a person and into a wonderful young woman. I have seen her learn to take on responsibility and affect the room with her presence. Someday, she could even take over as the future CEO!" Anna subtly rolled her eyes so the guests would not be too offended. Father always brought work into everything.

"So I'd like to not only thank her for all the good memories we've made but to hope for new ones as I present to her this gift!" He pulled out two keys and handed them to her. "Happy birthday sweetheart," he whispered lovingly. Everyone applauded as her eyes went wide in recognition and threw her arms around him.

"Thank you father. Thank you so so so much!" She looked back down at the keys, smiling so hard it was beginning to hurt. One key was a simple key with her first initial printed on the end and the other had buttons for a trunk and a horn. Her father had presented her with the keys to a car and place to live.

After giving one last hug to her father, Anna went to go find Kristoff. Instead, she found Rapunzel with her boyfriend Eugene, waiting for her with matching expressions on their faces. Anna couldn't exactly read it but something was up. Brushing that aside, the birthday girl squeezed both of them in a bear hug.

"Did you know about this?!" Anna exclaimed. Her cousin tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, laughter meeting her twinkling eyes.

"We were the only ones to know! But that helped us plan your present and make your birthday even better!" Anna raised an eyebrow, curiously. "It's waiting for you at your cottage! We moved all your clothes and stuff there already so no worries about grabbing things for tonight but I promise it'll be amazing because you'll love it and I want to hear all about it tomorrow at school!" She handed Anna a piece of paper with an address scribbled on it and pushed her towards the door. "Your car's out back. I'll cover you and tell your dad where you went."

"Have fun!" Eugene added in. Anna thanked them and moved through the crowd again, hurrying to the door.

She gasped when she saw the new Toyota Corolla and slid in the seat. The engine purred to life and Anna drove carefully, following the GPS to the address listed on the paper. It was a good distance from the rest of the town but thankfully, not far from the school. Pulling up to the cottage, Anna noted how clean it appeared and eagerly pushed the key into the keyhole. Opening the door, the smell of clean linens filled her nose and she sighed happily. Taking two steps in, she was pulled suddenly into the embrace of a mysterious figure and her lips were captured almost immediately.

_'Whose delicious lips have captured mine… Ah, they taste of strawberries and chocolate… I love chocolate…' _

Anna let out a blissful sigh at the unexpected (but certainly not unwelcome) contact. That is, until the mysterious person jumped at the sound of her soft voice, pulling away suddenly. Missing the warm feeling against her and her senses tingling like mad, she looked up to see the alarmed face of the person she never would have imagined standing in her apartment.

"Ms… Arendelle?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay in update; I've been aiming for a week but the past couple days got crazy hectic and whatever I say after this isn't going to matter to you guys so I'll just put this here: [insert every writer's excuse for being late on an update]**

**But I appreciate the attention this fic has already gotten (reviews, follows, and favorites!) and I know it's still early on in the fic but I have a proposition to make. Sooner or later, I'm going to need a beta reader and a cover for this. If you're interested, PM me or just contact me through Tumblr (my username is the same on both sites). Of course, the beta reader will see chapters in advance but I'm also offering that to whoever does the cover. In any case, I'd appreciate it greatly... *gets awkwardly shy***

**This chapter is dedicated to I'mAtAPayphone for being the first reviewer and a great guesser. **

**Also because I have to: I do not own Frozen. **

**Thanks guys and enjoy!**

Maybe it was the way her eyes shone in the dim light of the cottage. Maybe it was the way her blonde hair suddenly seemed to shine against the dark couch cushions she sat on. Maybe it was the slight flush in her cheeks as she sat, hunched over, trembling. Maybe it was just the fact that she looked so vulnerable in this very moment, helpless and almost scared. It didn't matter what the reason was, Anna could not deny the swirling emotions within her as she stood, arms crossed, looking down at her teacher.

"So…" Anna started.

"I'm sorry!" Ms. Arendelle blurted out. "I mean…" she paused to take a breath. "I didn't realize you lived here. Actually, I didn't know you were… into that…" Anna nearly choked and waved her hands frantically.

"Woah woah woah, hold up!" She raised her hand to massage her temple. "How about this, Ms. Arendelle? I'll make some tea and then we can figure out what the hell is going on." She bit her lip, almost expecting Ms. Arendelle to bite her head off for language, but when the blonde didn't move a muscle, Anna uncrossed her arms. "Wait here, okay?"

As the girl shuffled out of the living room, she heard a sniffle from the living room. A pang of emotion that she could only name as sympathy welled up within her.

_'Why? She hasn't done anything to make me feel sorry for her. Well, except maybe she feels miserable about the kiss… But that kiss…'_

Red locks of hair bounced off shoulders as Anna shook those thoughts out of her head. Stepping on the linoleum floor, Anna noticed her cousin wasn't kidding when she had said they moved all her stuff to the cottage. Every cupboard she opened contained at least one object inside and nearly all of the items were new with the price tags still attached. Searching through the unnaturally clean refrigerator, Anna noticed milk and whipped cream and an idea popped in her head. Setting to work, she heated the milk on the stove and opened a few more cupboards, searching for more ingredients.

"What's that amazing smell?" a voice from behind made her jump in surprise. Turning, the redhead momentarily forgot to whom she was talking to and beamed happily.

"Chocolate. Hot chocolate to be precise. Is… that okay with you?" her voice wavered, unsure. The stray hairs across her teacher's head combined with the rumpled blouse and short skirt gave off a very risqué and untamed aura. However, the untamable was tamed in an instant as the woman nodded eagerly.

"It's my favorite," she grinned, eyes glistening in florescent light of the kitchen. Suddenly, she didn't seem like the strict Ms. Arendelle everyone hated. She seemed more… youthful. In fact, the blonde sitting before her seemed almost at ease and peaceful in the softer and homier environment. Almost. The way she was dressed made Anna's gut clench pleasantly. Pushing aside the feeling, she handed a mug over to the woman.

"So…" Anna sat down at the table across from her. "Let's start from the beginning. Why are you here, in my house?" Ms. Arendelle sighed and pushed back some of her bangs.

"You probably have a million questions that you deserve an explanation for and I promise you I'll give you all the answers you want. However, I'll only give them to you on the condition that you promise me not to tell anyone what happened here tonight. Do we have a deal?" She raised an eyebrow questioningly. Anna simply nodded. Another sigh passed Ms. Arendelle's lips and she grimaced.

"I'm here because I was paid to do so." She watched carefully as the younger girl tried to process what she had said.

"By whom?" Anna was puzzled.

"Well, if you didn't, then I'm not exactly sure who did." She sipped her frothy drink before continuing. "I work at the Southern Isles Paradise. I would hope you are not familiar with seeing it as _you_ are a high school student and _it_ is a strip club located about twenty minutes away from here. It's on the opposite side of town, in case you were curious."

"Woah wait," the now-intrigued girl interrupted. "You, Ms. Arendelle, most hated and strictest teacher in the whole school, are a stripper?! That's what you're telling me?!" Anna burst into laughter.

"More or less, yes," she answered. The peals of laughter subsided as the youngest caught the fear in the older woman's eyes.

"Hey, I'm sorry for laughing." Anna apologized. "I would never have pictured you like… well… this." She gestured to Ms. Arendelle's attire and the blonde lifted her hands in a weak attempt to cover her indecency. With a soft smile, Anna reached out and slowly lowered her teacher's hands.

"Now now Ms. Arendelle… At this moment you are a guest and no longer a stranger to me or my home." The girl surprised herself with her own words but decided it was worth it as the blonde's muscles lost tension and her shoulders dropped.

"I'm sorry Anna. I didn't realize this house belonged to you or I wouldn't have come here tonight." Anna shook her head slowly.

"I didn't know until tonight." A blonde eyebrow shot to the sky. "I mean it was a birthday present from my father. This is actually the first time I've been here." Her teacher started quaking.

"I'm so sorry… The boss… He said there was a last minute cancelation and I would be perfect for the job and the pay was generous… I didn't know!" Frantic to calm the quivering woman, Anna reached out and pressed a finger against her lips, effectively silencing her.

"Breathe. That was probably my cousin's doing. She said my present was waiting for me at home but I didn't think she meant _waiting_ waiting…" she trailed off. "Look, no harm done. I won't tell anyone like you asked. In fact, you can just go back home and grade worksheets or whatever you do when you're not at school… or work." Ms. Arendelle started shaking her head frantically.

"No!" A blush spread across her cheeks. "I mean, not that I want to stay in a student's home any longer than I have to, or don't want to go back to my own home; it's just that it would be unfair for me to take payment without doing, at least, something. " She tucked her head down, gaze on the empty mug in front of her.

The younger girl sat in shock. She swallowed thickly as the realization of the situation came down upon her. Ms. Arendelle was actually offering to do the job she was given for honest pay. Gazing at her, Anna could see the discomfort emanating off of the hunched over figure, arms curled to embrace herself in a hug. While the woman's outfit remained extremely sexy and a huge turn-on for the eighteen-year-old, the lack of confidence took away some of the appeal.

"No… I don't want that." Ms. Arendelle jerked her head up in shock. "Not that I don't want you because you're unattractive; because you are. In that outfit, I mean! Like, damn." The two women blushed and turned their gaze to the table as Anna continued rambling. "I just don't think that would be a good idea. At least for now anyway! Not that anything would happen later, of course! I just mean… I'll let it go."

Still blushing, Ms. Arendelle raised her head to meet earnest, teal-blue eyes staring back at her. "I don't think I could just accept this though… I was already paid in advance so I want to make sure I do something for it…" she trailed off.

A silence settled between the two. A dog in the distance started barking. The clocked ticked loudly. Crickets began to sing soft songs outside. It was Anna who spoke first.

"Well, if you're that persistent, maybe I could enjoy your company for a little while longer." The smile that followed was not meant to be seductive, yet it was perceived as such. Fear was kindled, once again, in the eyes of the blonde and Anna hurried to fix that.

"How about this. For every hundred dollars my cousin paid you, you have to watch half an hour's worth of Disney movie with me," the redhead demanded. Ms. Arendelle's face relaxed at the request before her body tensed again.

"I-I'd be here all night!" she exclaimed, glancing up at the clock above the kitchen sink. The younger pair of eyes widened and her jaw unhinged. Looking back at the gaping girl, Ms. Arendelle's hand rose to hide her mouth as a peal of giggles threatened to escape.

'_God, she's actually kind of cute… No Anna! Bad Anna! You have to remember who exactly this blonde succubus is!'_

The tint of red on her cheeks grew a shade darker when Ms. Arendelle reached out and gently touched her shoulder.

"You clearly don't have a thing for strippers. You hardly know how much we get paid!" Her giggled continued, leaving Anna unsure of whether she should be embarrassed and miffed at the way her teacher was laughing at her, or completely at awe with how captivating the sound of Ms. Arendelle's laughter was. Against her better judgment, she settled on the latter and a shy smile began to spread across her face. When the giggle-fit died down, Ms. Arendelle picked up the empty mug and stood up.

"I'll agree to your terms Ms. Anna, but only on the condition that I get a refill."

Taking the empty mug from Ms. Arendelle's hand, Anna decided she could live with that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you guys again for your patience. I finally got some of this plot sorted out and outlined and typed up a few chapters. AND HOLY COW. SO MANY FOLLOWS AND FAVS AND REVIEWS. I'm dying here. I have more on this fic than all my other ones combined. You guys make me so happy and give me confidence****. Thank you so much. (By the way, if you leave a review and you're actually logged in, I will respond to your them via PM; it might just take me a while but I think it's important to thank my readers personally.)  
**

**This chapter is dedicated to guest reviewer Leo because I feel ya. I would love to be in Anna's shoes too. Life just isn't fair and it sucks for the rest of us. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Frozen**

The buzzing of her phone roused the redhead from her peaceful slumber. Rolling over to slam her hand against the source of the constant buzzing, she found herself on the floor with a solid _thud_. She was wide-awake now and not too entirely happy about it. Turning off the alarm, Anna found a small piece of paper tucked neatly beneath her phone.

_"Dear Ms. Anna, Thank you for the wonderful evening last night. I truly appreciate your kindness and understanding in spite of the situation we found ourselves in. I don't remember the last time I watched a Disney movie so to watch them with you was simply delightful (albeit it was an interesting experience). I apologize for having to leave earlier than intended; I had to other matters to attend to so I threw a blanket over you and locked the door behind me. Thank you again for your hospitality and generousness and I shall see you in class."_

At the bottom of the note was 'Ms. Arendelle' in fine, elegant cursive and a seven-digit number. _"In case anything happens," _the note said. The idea that something could happen was soon forgotten as the young girl began to process the significance of the number.

_'Holy shit! I have her number! Oh my god Oh my god Oh my god Oh my GOD!'_

The alarm blared through her thoughts, reminding her that now, she was officially running late.

_'Oh SHIT!'_ Anna made a mad dash for her bedroom, limbs flailing as she scrambled for clean clothes. Passing the bathroom as she tore back down the hallway, the disheveled teen caught a glimpse of her appearance in the mirror and immediately seized a hairbrush.

"Stupid bedhead," she muttered as she raked the bristles through her hair. After several moments, the lion's mane was brushed down into two braids, lying neatly over her shoulders. Bolting into the kitchen, the frantic girl went to grab a slice of bread to make toast. The clock above the kitchen sink reminded her of her soon-to-be tardiness.

"Screw toast!" Anna cursed and grabbed her books just as she ran out the door. Like Anna thought, the jog to school was only about ten minutes and she passed through the front gate just as they started to close. Panting, the almost-late student made her way to homeroom for attendance.

"Anna Anderson? Anderson? Has anyone seen Anna today?" A short man with circular glasses that were too big for his face and a full, grey mustache questioned the set of students in front of him. Seeing a few people shake their heads he sighed and went to mark her absent.

"I'm here! I'm here! I'm not late!" The young girl stormed through the door, wild-eyed and disheveled. The braids had stray hairs poking up everywhere and her slice of bread crumbled in her clenched fist. The stout man peered up at her.

"Oh really? Not hiding any secrets from me are you?" he sneered. A blush spattered across Anna's cheeks and he smirked.

"N-no sir," she managed to gasp out. The attention drawn to her was beginning to affect her. Mr. Weselton hummed.

"No? Alright then. Take your seat Ms. Anderson; I'll excuse you this time."

Sighing, Anna slid into her seat as Mr. Weselton continued to call out the other names of the students.

"Kristoff Bjorgman?"

"Here." The soft yet confident tone of the blonde boy wove through the air of the classroom and the teacher nodded in approval.

"Good… good," he muttered, scribbling on the attendance sheet. Refocusing his attention, he glanced back at the boy in front of him. "Did you finish that worksheet on the elements for my class yet, boy?" he asked.

"Yes sir." Kristoff smiled lightly.

"Good!" he beamed. "Good job Bjrogman! I knew I was doing the right thing when I recommended you for class rep!"

Anna was quickly losing interest in the conversation. Everyone knew that just because Kristoff was shy, didn't mean he didn't pay attention in classes. He was the head of the class in multiple classes and thus, had earned his place amongst the student council representatives. Not that Anna knew what the student council and the classroom representatives _did_ per say. However, a certain relative of his had very much claimed her attention and refused to leave the recesses of her mind, always lingering. Images of the night prior came coming back to the redhead as she slipped into a daydream...

_"So you're totally cool with The Lion King?"_

_ "It's a classic, Anna. Why wouldn't I be okay with it?" the blonde giggled, covering her smile politely. She had thrown on a pair of Anna's sweatpants and a loose fitting T-shirt covered in snowflakes, more so for Anna's sake than her own._

_ "Sweet! Lemme just pop it in and I'll go refill your mug again!" Anna bent over to place the DVD in and turned to take the mug out of her teacher's hand. Was that a blush that Anna saw? No, that must've been a trick of the light coming from the screen. Walking to the kitchen, Anna poured more of the liquid chocolate in to the mug, a satisfying steam rising as a result. _

_ "Anna?" the voice from the living room called out. "It's starting." Anna picked up her own mug and carried the two hot beverages to the couch where the older woman waited patiently. She smiled in thanks and turned her eyes to the screen as the familiar sunrise shone on the screen. Anna was still trying to tear her eyes away. Her teacher was sitting on her couch watching The Lion King with her over a cup of hot chocolate. And they had kissed. Now that she thought about it, the description sounded very much like that of a date. Anna quickly shook that thought out of her head and turned to face the screen. _

_ "Rafiki is my favorite," Elsa smiled fondly at the television. "He's so wise and comforting but no one realizes how intelligent and deep he is as a character." Anna nodded in thought._

_ "I just liked Simba because I can really relate to him. He lost the one person who meant the most to him and he just has this hidden aura of power that you can't see when he's off having fun and singing Hakuna Matata." Elsa peeled her eyes away from the opening scene to give the younger girl a questioning look. _

_ "You lost someone too?" her voice was just above a whisper. Anna could only nod, the lighter mood fading into a heavy air, making her want to choke._

_ "My mom."_

_ It was silent except for the sounds of Mufasa scolding Scar in front of them. Ms. Arendelle shifted slightly. _

_ "I'm sorry Anna. I know how that feels all too well." Not looking up from her hands clenched in her lap, Anna timidly asked for clarification._

_ "I lost my mother too." This time, Anna got the courage to look up and was shocked to see her teacher with tears in her eyes, shining brightly from the artificial light of the television. Not thinking about what she was doing, Anna extended her arms and brought Ms. Arendelle into a warm hug. The two women remained there, in a stalemate, not willing to let go but not wanting to make the other feel awkward. _

_ It was Ms. Arendelle that pulled away first. Sniffing lightly, she offered the other girl a watery smile. _

_ "Thank you Anna," she whispered. Anna answered by laying her head gently on the blonde's shoulder. As the movie played, Anna's eyes began to droop from the weight of exhaustion. Before she knew what was happening, she had fallen asleep in her teacher's arms. _

"Alright you guys! Chemistry class is over! Go about your day and try not to have too much fun!" the squeaky voice of Mr. Weselton rose above the chatter and bustling of students. Anna blinked in confusion. Had she really zoned out through homeroom and chemistry? As students emptied out of the classroom, she reluctantly decided she must have. Getting her bag and standing up, Anna made her way to her next class.

"Excuse me!" a soft and firm voice made the redhead spin a 360, searching for the owner of the voice. Kristoff jogged up to her before matching her pace down the hallway. "Look I meant to ask you last night but your dad interrupted and now looked to be a pretty decent time and…" he paused.

"Go on." Anna nodded encouragingly and smiled warmly.

"Well I was wondering if maybe you'd want to go to a movie tomorrow evening? With me?" He blushed and his hands began wringing out the strap of his messenger bag. Cute.

"Yeah, sure," Anna tried to play it off coolly and less excited than she actually was. "I'll let you take me out." Kristoff's face instantly brightened. With a quick thanks and an exchanging of numbers, he gave a small wave and walked the other direction to his class.

Over the course of the day, Anna's energy came coursing back through her. She didn't have to tell anyone she was happy; everyone could see it from a mile away. As the bell rang to dismiss the students to lunch, Anna bolted. Nothing and no one was going to stop her from getting to food. The awkward green tray in Anna's hand quickly piled up with food and she practically bounced over to where her friends and cousin were sitting. The group always chose to sit outside underneath the old oak tree in the courtyard; it was the only place they ever got any sort of privacy.

"So!" Rapunzel immediately started talking. "How was last night?" She waggled her eyebrows and her cousin instantly paled. Rapunzel laughed. "That bad, huh?" Anna shook her head.

"No… It's not that… I was just… _surprised_… That's all." Rapunzel let out another short laugh.

"Well I _told _you that my surprise would be a surprise! So, was it any good?" everyone seemed to lean in at the question with baited breath. Anna let out the puff of breath for them and shrugged.

"It was alright, I guess. She didn't exactly give me much time to process everything that was going on. Things just sorta… happened." Memories of the kiss flooded to the forefront of her mind and the faintest of reds scampered across her face. Taking that as a good sign, Rapunzel grinned like an idiot and relaxed. A moment of quiet settled of the group with the occasional slurping sound of Eugene drinking his apple juice.

"WAIT WHAT!?" Rapunzel raised her voice. Anna flinched away from the sound but turned to her with a questioning gaze. "You said it was a _she_?" Another faint blush danced on Anna's face but she tried to play it off cool.

"Yeah I mean, it's no big deal right?" Everyone's eyes bulged. Then Rapunzel's eyes crinkled up as she smirked.

"Oh. Oh my dear sweet cousin. If only you told me you _swung_ that way I could've arranged for a female to show up at your door!" The younger girl suddenly realized what her friends now thought. She was now totally into women. Not wanting to seem like she actually hadn't had the time of her life last night with another woman (which Anna had decided, _was _the most fun she had had in awhile, woman or not), Anna quickly shook her head.

"So I was surprised but it was still fun! And anyway, I don't swing _all the way_ over there. I have a date with Kristoff tomorrow."

"Lucky," muttered one of her friends. Kai was the only bisexual guy in the group and everyone knew he was at least a _little_ jealous of the blonde boy's attention towards Anna. Anna couldn't help but feel a little bad for Gerda who clearly was head over heels for him. Looking over at her now, Anna noticed Gerda was focusing all of her energy on pulling the grass from between her legs.

"Well good for you cuz," Rapunzel smiled with a warmth that reached her eyes. "I told you he liked you! Now don't forget to share the chocolate with him and don't do anything inapro-pro at the theater!"

"Says the one who sent me a stripper last night," Anna mutters and everyone breaks into a fit of laughter.

"Lunch is almost over," Kai speaks up. "Does anyone have the answers to Ms. Arendelle's worksheet? I totally forgot about it last night!" Everyone shook their heads.

"Sorry man," Rapunzel said. "She collects it so I don't have the answers any more. Plus, it's one of those ones where you need time to complete it. There's no way you're going to finish in time."

While Kai looked dejected, Anna could practically hear her own heartbeat quicken its steady pace. The thought of Ms. Arendelle being pissed at her suddenly didn't seem all too threatening. Not after hearing her softly sing Hakuna Matata the night prior.

"Two more class periods to finish it, right?" Gerda asked. "You can get some of it done by then, right Zel?" She looked to Rapunzel for confirmation. The girl merely shrugged and bit into and apple. Anna didn't even realize the wide grin that spread across her face as she realized: '_two more class periods until I see Ms. Arendelle'_.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! For those of you who read 'I Can't Hold It Back Anymore!' and was like, "where the fudgenuggets is the chapter for 'Nothing Tastes Sweeter'?! You said by the end of the night!" Well I have some good news that I will use in my groveling for an excuse. I now have a beta that will start with the next chapter of this fic (I practically threw a party. I was _that_ happy). I'm also on vacation so I'll work on it as much as I can. I'm still getting around to messaging back all the people that have reviewed to my fics!**** Thanks again for all your support!  
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******This chapter is dedicated to xo-j-e-i-a-h-xo because I like when a reader questions what they read. It means they are engaged and I love it!~  
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******Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen.**

She had forgotten about the present. Rapunzel had walked her cousin to her before last period. Honestly, it was much easier to grab her homework and textbooks before 7th period than trying to get to her locker after school in the mad-dash to get home.

"You forgot to open your present from him?!" Rapunzel admonished. "Anna Anderson how could you?! You're going on a date with him and you haven't even opened the gift! He's probably dying inside to see if you like it and look what you've done! Or should I say, what you haven't?" She gestured to the little bundled package shoved in the locker. Anna blinked before reaching to grab it. The rough edges and rugged feel to the wrapping made her smile.

"Hurry up and open it!" her cousin squealed excitedly. Carefully, Anna pulled back the edges of the paper. Piece by piece the object underneath was uncovered until nothing remained but a small, plush reindeer. A tug at the corner of her lips showed Anna's delight at the small gift.

"Awww! He got you a stuffed animal! Oh Anna, he's definitely into you!" Anna laughed lightheartedly, rolling her eyes at her cousin's cocky stance.

"What are you? A love expert?" Rapunzel puffed out her chest.

"As a matter of fact, I am." She pushed up imaginary glasses. Anna put the reindeer back into her bag along with the rest of the books. The bell rang and Anna sighed softly.

"Alright, I'm heading to Arendelle next. Wish me luck!" Anna tried not to let her newfound excitement show. Rapunzel shifted her pose before moving out of Anna's way.

"Good luck!" she called after her.

_Some love expert she is. Gosh, what does she know?_

The thought startled the young girl and she would have the rest of the day to ponder where it came from and what it meant.

"So I'd like you to place all of your work sheets on my desk. Thank you." Her voice was cold enough to make the class freeze up. "Well?! I'm waiting!" Once the rustling of papers ensued, Ms. Arendelle turned to face the door only to see a not-so-subtle redhead trying to sneak in.

"Anna! Where do you think you've been?" the bitter cold voice had melted momentarily into something the student could not quite decipher.

"Uh, um… Well you see I was… Uhhhh…"

"Do you at least have the worksheet I assigned?" she asked, the cold seeping back into her voice. Turning red, Anna stared at the floor and shook her head. Ms. Arendelle released a small sigh through her nose that was only audible to the two of them.

"I'll let this slide Ms. Anderson," she warned. "But just this once." Anna felt a wave of déjà vu. However, relief flooded throughout her body and she prayed it wouldn't be seen sneaking on to her face. As Anna slunk back to her seat and the classroom settled down, Ms. Arendelle's voice echoed off the walls of the classroom.

"So who can tell me what Major scale has no sharps or flats?" she stared down each person before shifting her gaze to Anna. A silent shake of the head let her teacher know that she didn't know. Glancing back around the classroom, Ms. Arendelle realized that she wasn't the only one.

"C. C Major has no sharps or flats," she said. A note from the piano rung out and then another and another. Ms. Arendelle was tapping out the C Major scale on the piano. Anna was entranced.

When Ms. Arendelle had finished, the eye contact was instantaneous. Anna was gazing up at her with awe and wonder. She had never known one person could play a piano so beautifully. Ms. Arendelle had been searching Anna's eyes for… approval? Acceptance? Anna did not quite know but the gaze had been dropped just as soon as it started; the tall blonde had returned to her lecture.

The lesson flew by. She could hardly register the bell ringing to signal the end of the day.

"Did you like it?" The soft, silky voice asked. Anna's gaze finally focused and she was brought back to reality. Everyone had already left the classroom, leaving the two women standing there.

"Wait what?" Anna blurted.

"I asked if you liked it?" Ms. Arendelle answered patiently. The younger of the two shifted uncomfortably, grabbing the hem of her shirt.

"What am I liking?" she asked sheepishly. Instead of biting her head off for not paying attention like she had thought, Ms. Arendelle simply smiled warmly and slid into the seat in front of Anna.

"I just wanted to know your opinion on my lecture today." She twisted her long, braid around her fingers and broke eye contact to look off to the side.

"Ah! Um…Well… It was…" Anna sputtered, clearly frazzled. A moment passed as the two sat silently. Finally Anna breathed out. "It was _enchanting._"

The words seemed to throw the eldest of the two off guard but she quickly composed herself. Anna felt so far away when looking at that face. It was like looking at a fortress made of ice: unshakable, unmovable, and untouchable.

"I'm glad you were more engaged in the lecture today," Ms. Arendelle told her. The tone was hard to detect. The silky voice was soft and laced with caution. But at the same time, there were undercurrents and once again, Anna couldn't figure out what exactly it was that was present.

"I'm sorry about the worksheet!" she blurted. Her hand clapped her mouth at her own outburst. Ms. Arendelle raised an eyebrow, questioning her. Lowering her hand, she muttered out a quick explanation. "I mean, I'm sorry I didn't get to finish it. A lot happened last night and it was hard for me to get the assignment done. You know how it is! Well, you actually do… But that's no excuse! I could've finished it this morning when I woke up or somethi- Hey!"

Ms. Arendelle was laughing. Ms. Arendelle was _laughing. _And not just some light chuckle but an actual laugh with her teeth showing and unrestrained joy. Anna simply had no choice but to be captivated again. What was this woman doing to her?

"I was wondering," Anna noticed the blonde tugging on her braid as she spoke. "Since you're still here, maybe you wouldn't mind grabbing a bite to eat with me and we can talk more about what happened last night. I know my explanation wasn't enough to satisfy you, I can see it in your eyes. You can ask all the questions you want and I'll answer them. I've decided to trust you. You don't know how big this all is but right now, you're all I've got." Ms. Arendelle finished her proposal and explanation. Anxiety and fear was evident as her shoulders hunched over again and Anna was sure the braid was completely messed up and would have to be redone. For some unknown reason, Kristoff popped into the forefront of Anna's mind and there was no censor to stop her mouth from running off.

"But what about your nephew, Kristoff? Why not him?"

Ms. Arendelle's eyes softened around the edges and a slight frown that Anna instantly disliked pulled the corner of her lips into a slight frown. Anna felt as if the room suddenly felt empty and she shuddered at the feeling.

"He's family. I can't do that. He can't get involved. He hardly knows…" Icy blue eyes snapped up to the teal ones and gazed intently. "Please," she begged. "You'll understand if you come with me. We just can't talk about it here of all places."

Anna paused for a moment taking in the sight of her teacher. Ms. Arendelle looked just as pathetic and seemingly as scared as she was the night prior when she had first realized she kissed her student. The silent pleading touched Anna and something stirred within her. Silent communication went between the two women and Anna rose to her feet, pulling her bag with her.

"I'll go Ms. Arendelle. Lead the way." And with that all the fear washed away and was replaced with relief and satisfaction. Anna's heart clenched and for a moment, she didn't care what she had agreed to or what could happen after she left with this woman that she could read like a simple book. The face the grateful blonde was making told her that it was going to be okay. This was okay. Everything would be okay. On some deeper level, an inner voice told Anna that this is what she needed. And as the student and teacher walked out of the classroom, everything was, for the moment, okay.

**A/N: What questions would you have for Ms. Arendelle if you were Anna? Lemme know!~**


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